Ever heard the phrase “It’s the little things that count”? Learning a new language is tough. I remember being completely overwhelmed on that first day of Spanish class. I couldn’t believe I was expected to listen to, comprehend, and respond in another language.
That seemed like a tall order considering I knew exactly one Spanish word at the time: hola.
But somehow that teacher was right. By the end of my freshman year I could order some food, talk about the weather, and have a basic conversation with my classmates.
Being a Beginner
When you start out on any new project, it can definitely feel overwhelming. If you focus only on the end result, it can seem like it’s really far away. Like you’ll never get there.
This is how I felt that first day of class. Like a baby learning to walk. We all have to start somewhere.
The key to reaching any goal is to take one small step at a time, and celebrate when you accomplish it.
You probably don’t think about it this way – most people don’t – but you make thousands of little tiny decisions throughout your day. Whether or not to open your eyes in the morning or keep on lying there with them shut. How many bites of that chocolate bar you’re going to allow yourself? Whether or not you’re going to engage with your 10-year-old about homework.
Every day is made up of thousands of these little decisions. It’s the little things that count!
So you could say that who you are today is a result of all the decisions you’ve made over the course of your life.
Now that can feel overwhelming!
So think about who you want to become, or a goal you want to achieve. What are the sorts of little decisions you need to make in order to get there?
Each Step Adds Up
Let’s say you want to lose 2 dress sizes.
The little decisions you make every day are the road to accomplishing this goal. It’s the little things that count.
You get to consider everything from what you eat at each meal, including how many sugary foods you eat. Then there’s how often you get up from your seat to move during the day. And should you bike, walk or drive to work? And the real debate, how many alcoholic drinks you drink each week.
You also need to decide if you’ll go to bed an hour earlier (lack of sleep contributes to being overweight), and how much water you’ll drink during the day.
The cumulative effect of all these decisions adds up, until you can track the results over time. It’s a LOT easier to take one teeny, tiny step at a time, than it is to look way down the road, at the one big goal ahead. It’s the little things that count.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
If you keep looking BEHIND you, at all you’ve accomplished, instead of looking at the mountain in the distance, you’re more likely to stay motivated and on track to achieve your goal.
It’s like looking back at learning a language. Eventually, you realize you’ve actually learned how to string a few words together that make sense!
So whatever your health and fitness goals might be, don’t get discouraged. Instead, identify the little things you need to focus on all day long, and keep looking back at how far you’ve come. It’s the little things that count!
And if you’d like some help planning out what those little steps will be, I’d love to have a chance to speak with you about it! Just click the link here and sign up for a time for us to meet and talk.
I look forward to talking to you soon!
PS – Taking these teeny, tiny steps is usually easier when you do it with others heading to the same place (goal) as you!
About the Author:
Amy Hirsch is a jack of all trades. Her passion is helping busy women lose weight, gain more energy, become more confident, and become the best version of themselves.
